Firing grip



J. M. CQLBY 2,383,471

' FIRING GRIP Aug. 2s, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1942 3mm l Juaaph M ulhy v CIMM Aug. 2s, 1945. J. M. 'mmv 2,383,471

` FIRING GRIP Filed June 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 l v l tlmelnh M Enlhy Patented Aug. 28, 1945 UNITED STATE '-'FIRING Giur v Joseph M. Colby, UnitedStateSKArmy,

-Lake Mills-Iowa l f Application June 27, 1942, Serial No. 448,827 (c1. 89-27) (Granted under .the act pf March 3,' 1883, as`

amended April 30, 19285270 0. G. '757) 6 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactored. and used by orV for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of :any royalty thereon. l:

This invention relates to a firing grip and more particularly to a grip for manipulating and ring amachine gun. f 4: f

The purposeof the invention is to. provide a ringrgrip which is adapted for' usey onza standard machine gunto permit its adroit operation in the confined space in an armored device. Thespecic nature of the invention as well als other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment 'as' shown'inthe accompanying drawings inwhich: f Fig.- 1 isa View in section showing 'the grip -mounted on the rear end of a machine gun, 1

Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section through the grip shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the gun,

side: elevation and partly 'in' the gripV attached to' Figs. 4, 5, and 6l are respectively, side eleva'- tional, end elevational, and plan views of the body portion of the grip, v y

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the trigger actuating slide, f

Figsl and 9 are views of the respectively in side and end elevation,

Figs. `10 and 11 are respectively the plaril'arnll side elevational views of the lever for controlling,

theslidellock, and

Fig. 12 is'a view in side elevation of the trigger operating cam. Y

' Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the firing grip comprises a horizontal body portionI which is secured to the'under side of Va machine .gun 2 by al bolt and nu-tv ararngementjS' at a point near the rear end 4 of the gun. A vertical pistol grip 5 depends from thefront'end Bof the body and has a series of arcuate notches 1 to accommodate The pistol grip 5, is preferably anelongated ring-shaped' member: having a central opening B which is adaptedY to. receive the tips of. the `gunnersffngers. thereby the fingers of the operator.

permitting a more positive hold on f the grip. This is of considerable advantage 'during swift movements of the gun about its universal mounting. The rear portion of the grip mechanism is.

conditioned to engage the trigger 9 of the ;ma chine .gun in a manner which .will be described later.

The body portion I is provided with a longituf dinal guide channel- In in its upper face; seey Figs. 5'and 6. This guide channel is adapted to receive a reciprocating trigger actuating slide II-shownin Figs. 1, 2 and '7. The front portion I-I so that interference with thebolt arrangement and the` reciprocating slide will no-t exist.

A pair, of alinedl apertures I'I in the upper portion of the lgrip I receive a rotary lock I8 for the trigger slide II; see Figs. 1, 6 and 8; This lock is adaptedgto selectively clear or engage an arcuate notchv I9 in the slide as-shown' in Figs'. 2 and 7. The lock I8-is a bolt-like element which is actuated by a` thumb'lever 20 thatis coupled to the left hand end 2| of the lock as viewed in Figs. "l and 9. ALever 20 is 'a spring steel member which isarrange'd to' be swung through a 90 angle by vpressure on' its flange portionZZj see also Figs. 10' and 11'. 'I'he leveris slightly oisetfinwardly and has a protuberance 23 on 'the inner facev 24 which is adapted tobe seated in either of a pair of recesses 25 spaced 90 apartl on the grip lys'e'e Figs.' land 4. These recesses determine the limits of travel of the'lever 20'and also yfunction with'the lever as a latch to secure the rotary lock I8 in either its operative or inoperative position.' l

Rotary lock I8 has an intermediate shank por! tion 26` which is semi-circular in cross section. Whenr the lever 20 isin the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the dat face 2ly of the lock parallels.

and clears the top face 28 of the trigger slide II', and the curved'fao'e 29 is uppermost. Relative reciprocating movement between the slide andv the 'lock is then permissible. 'When the' lever 20 is swung downwardly through an angle of 90 andthe' protuberance 23 is lodged in the lower recess 25, the curved face 29 of lock I8 is in ensagement with thearcuate nete-h Is so that the slide I I is incapable of reciprocation in the guide channel I0 'as is illustratedin Fig. 7 n l yll'ie upper rear of the body portion I ofthe grip carries apair of ears 30 on opposite sidesV of the guide channel I0.` Aligned bores 3 I in the ears receive a rpin 32 .whichrotatably supports a.

carn"'33; s'ee Figs.'l, 2 and 12. Cam 3'3 has a depending iinger 34 which rests in a wide-mouth notch in the rear of the trigger slide II. A posterior nger 36 on the cam 33 is adapted to engage the free end of the trigger 9 of the gun 2. The trigger actuating slide I I is provided with an inwardly lcurved vsurface 31 rat its front end to accomodate the trigger finger of the` gunner.y

A spring urged bolt or plunger'38 is arranged to reciprocate in a cylindrical bore 39 at the rear of the grip body I. A manually operated knob which is secured to the side of the bolt Vis i adapted to slide in an L-shaped slot 4I thereby,Y

controlling the release of the bolt from the bore.

When the gun is not in use thisv bolt is employed" to secure the rear portion of the-gun to a iixed support (not shown) which is provided with av A 20 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as a result of which the trigger actuating slide I I is free to reciprocate in its guide channel I0, the gun may be fired by squeezing with the trigger nger onthe curvedsurface 31 at the front end of the slide. This pushes the slide backwardagain'st the resistance of spring I3 which bears against the shoulder I4. As the slide is displaced' rearwardly it swings the trigger operating cam 33 counterclockwise about xed pin 32 since the depending nger 34 engages the wide mouth notch 35 in the tail portion of the slide. This elevates the posterior'iinger 36 of the cam which contacts the trigger 9 of the gun and moves it to the firing position.

When the gunner releases the pressure imparted by his trigger finger on the curved surface 31 of the slide I I, the compressed spring I3 elongates and forces'the slide to the left as viewed in Fig. l. Notch 35 in the tail end of the slideis displaced in the same direction and carries with it the ringer 34 of the trigger Ioperating cam 33.

This swings the posterior iinger 36 down the top of the slide II and permits the trigger to return to its inoperative position thereby causingthe gun to cease firing. The posterior ringer 36 `and the bolt 3 and notch I6 prevent ringer 34 from being moved out of the notch 35 thereby preventing the slide I I from being removed from channel II! when the assembled grip is attached to the gun.

The ring mechanism is again ready for instant use with the lever in the position shown inpositively secured against movement which could single hand of the operator. This is an important feature as it is particularly adapted for use on a gun m-ounted in an armored device since the gunners left hand is needed to perform other operations such as movement and control of a rotary -cupola or turret during traverse.

I claim:

1. The combination with a machine gun having a trigger extending rearwardly therefrom, of a body detachablyV secured to the underside of said machineg'unadjacent said trigger and formed with a pistol gripI and guide ways, a spring urged trigger slide disposed in said guide Ways having one end extending outwardly from said pistol grip whereby said trigger slide may be moved on said v Ways by a finger of lthe hand grasping said pistol grip' and aca'm member engaging said trigger and said trigger slide whereby said trigger is actuated upon movement of said trigger slide.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein locking means operable by a finger of the hand grasping, said pistol grip is provided for said slide member.

3. The combination with a machine gun having a. trigger extending rearwardly therefrom, of a body detachably secured to the underside of said machine gun adjacent said trigger `and formed with a pistol grip and guide ways, a spring urged, notched trigger slidefdisposedfin said guide ways having an end thereofextending outwardly lfrom said pistol grip whereby said trigger slideA may be moved on said ways by a linger of the hand grasping said pistol grip, and a cam member engaging the notched portion of said trigger slide and also-said trigger whereby said trigger'is actuated upon movement of said trigger slide. v

4. The combination with a machine gun having a trigger extending rearwardly therefrom, ofl

a body detachably secured to the undersideroi said machine gun adjacent said` trigger and formed with .a pistol grip and guide ways, a trigger slide disposed in said guide ways having a notch on theupper ,side thereof and having one end thereof extending outwardly from said pistol whereby said trigger slide may be moved on said ways by a iinger of the hand grasping said pistol grip, resilient vmeans to maintain said triggerl slide in inoperative position, a cam member engaging said trigger and said trigger slide whereby said trigger is actuatedupon movement of said trigger slide, a cut-away pin engaging the notch insaid trigger lslide for locking said slide against movement and a-thmb lever on said pin disposed exteriorly of saidbody for rotating said pin.

5. The combination with a machine gun having a trigger extending rearwardly therefrom, of a body detachably secured to the underside of said machine gun adjacent said trigger and formed withv a pistol grip and guide -ways, a trigger slide `disposed in said guide ways having notches onthe top surface thereof and having one end thereof extending outwardly from said pistol grip whereby 4said trigger slide may be moved on said ways by a iinger of the hand grasping said pistol grip, a rotatable cut-away pin engaging one of the notches in said trigger slide for locking said trigger slide against movement and a two-arm cam member engaging said trigger and another of theA notches of said trigger slide for trigger slide.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein` said cam member has one arm thereof enactuating said vtrigger upon movement of said;

gaging the notch in the upper portion of said' trigger slide and the other arm engaging the surf face of said trigger slide and also said trigger. 

